End of cheap LPs?

Judging by the range and quality of much of the vinyl in my local charity shops, they'll get left with a large pile of unsaleable stock if they go down that route. As it costs them nothing in the firstplace why should they expect to get full retail? - the only reason people buy anything in charity shops is cos its cheap! If I have to pay full retail for s/hand discs, I'll buy them from a bona-fide dealer who knows how to grade them and accepts returns on duff-ones.

David

It's obviously not the Bracknell BHF shop then - I scored the following (all for 70p each) last week:
Closer - Joy Division
Metro music - Martha and the muffins (these two to replace crap 80s reissue frying pan copies bought second hand elsewhere previously)
Undertones - Undertones (Sire issue, no Teenage kicks - admittedly BADLY scratched but I only have the crappy EMI Fame reissue so)
Day and night(?) - Joe Jackson (the one with Stepping out on)
Dare - Human League (I'm the only one in the world who didn't own this before)
Upstairs at Eric's - Yazoo
A Tourists album...

I'd not pay more than a quid for a record from a charity shop no matter what it was or what condition (OK, maybe if it was a 78 of Stormy Weather by the Five Sharps (worth $2k allegedly) or Bodycount's "Cop Killer" version of their debut, or maybe even Sheep On Drugs' "Greatest hits" but for anything else...

Mind you, the usual stuff in there is crap like The sound of music, Mantovanni, cheese on toast crooner crud or Burly Chassis lps...

When the music's over turn out the lights

"Dare - Human League (I'm the only one in the world who didn't own this before)"

No.

The same thing has happened in Oxfam in Harpenden where I've been getting records for years for 1 to 2 quid. They now check the Record Collector guide and put the first price they see in there regardless of issue or condition. I tried to explain the other week that Fleetwood Mac's self titled album in Average condition wasn't worth £15. Started feeling like a tight bastard though so gave up. Cancer research round the corner has also started doing it now!

As you say the discs are rarely in Mint condition which is what the guide price refers to and also nothing else they sell is at retail price (Would you buy secondhand charity shop Levi's for £45?).

Jonathan

Ah yeah, but isn't it true that Harpenden is one of the wealthiest places in the UK?? (Not meant to sound the way it does by the way - my ex used to come from there, but unfortunately didn't have the nice attitude of the other people I saw there!)

That said, charity is charity - they'll soon give up and put them back out at 70p - I guess Bracknell's BHF prices are cheaper due to the massive unemployed single mum quotient...

When the music's over turn out the lights

Single mums round here would'nt know a LP if you hit them over head with one. My daughters mates think her dads a nut because he still has vinyl on show. I think the charity shops should get the best deal they can but just to value LPs out of a book without any regard to condition is going to cost them in the end. I expect they will drop them completely if they don't sell. Some of the "expert" vinyl shops don't always get it right.

Regards

Howard

Hmm - none of the single mums here would know vinyl either - most of them were born after the 1983 CD launch forfripsake!!!

Seriously though, it always cracks me up - whenever anyone gets chatting to me about music and then discover I have a 'turntable' and vinyl, they always ask me if I'm a DJ... I tell them if anyone tries backcueing on my P3/DV10x4GH I'd backcue them!!!

When the music's over turn out the lights

No worries domfjbrown....I agree. Why do you think I live down the road in Luton (see bottom of posts). A 2 bed terrace house in Luton would set you back about 90k. 4 miles down the road in Harpenden they go for 250-300k and people pay that!!

As you say there's an equally big shift in the friendliness of your average local folk in those few short miles.

Jonathan

In the meantime, whilst trying to persuage any recalcitrant Charity Shops of the error of their ways I suggest we all boycott anything on sale for more than £1 for a single LP or £2 for a double.

As a point of interest, I've recently noticed a load of stuff listed at £12 plus in the Rare Record Guide which has not reached anything like that price on E-Bay - some do but a lot don't.

David

"My daughters mates think her dads a nut because he still has vinyl on show."

Many of my mates think I'm mad to still have vinyl. Indeed I was asked by Julie (of PoW fame) to show her daughter what an LP actually looks like.

Just scoured the charity shops in Reigate (no decent pubs to go to ) Amongst the Abba, Barry Manilow and Debussy records I found ...

It's My Life - Talk Talk
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears For Fears

50p each. not expensive!

I actually save money buying vinyl. Four reasons for this:

i. New LP prices in the U.S. are often below new CD prices, at least for the independent label stuff that I buy (check out insound.com, e.g.).

ii. Used vinyl prices have crashed at local retailers around where I live (U.S. Gulf Coast). I think they finally realized that they just weren't going to unload all their used LPs at the inflated prices they hoped to, and have basically heavily discounted them to get rid of them -- in one case to 50 cents each. I walked out of that store with about 70 LPs, having spent under $40.

iii. E-Bay! I search for LP lots by bands I'm interested in. Even with delivery charges it's often possible to get a whole band's entire output for less than the cost of one or two of their new CDs.

iv. Record cleaners. Although I've had a vacuum cleaner for only a short period, I've been pleased to see that it really helps in many cases. True, some used vinyl is really beyond hope (I'm finding around 25% of it is) -- but even so it's a good value.

Here's hoping the charity shops in the UK find out what the used music stores around me found out, namely, that nobody is going to pay $10 for that old Foreigner 4 album.

The largest offenders in my experience of this is Oxfam.

If anyone dares enter the salisbury branch they will find copies of various classical albums, (in good condition in fairness) for upwards of 15 quid. Suffice to say I was not impressed.

It varies wildly though, in Watford Oxfam has a fair selection of records for around the £2.00 mark.

I did buy a rather nice condition mono John Mayal album down deveon in a charity shop for a tenner, but that was my decision.

Damn Seagull Reigate was my next stop . A mixed selection from East Grinstead today
Lionel Richie,Sammy Hagar,G n R (almost unplayable) Rita Coolidge and Meatloaf and one Levellers CD single. £6 the lot not bad.

Regards

Howard

Have any of you good people tried early dawn raids on car-boot sales as a source for vinyl - if so is it worth getting up early for?

David

Yes car boots are good sources as well. Not so many during the winter though. I have noticed that most of the records being scoured by collectors seem to be going for 7 and 12 inch singles.So no need to get up too early.

Regards

Howard

I've noticed from the Rare Record Guide that quite often the value of singles/EPs far exceed the average LP. For example all the Connie Francis EPs are valued at £30 but only 2 or 3 of the many LPs she made equal or exceed that price.

I guess the singles and EPs had shorter production runs and probably weren't looked after as well LPs by the people who bought them, so they become more scarce and collectible. This is good news though for those of us who want to buy LPs for the music rather than the collectability or 'investment' values.

David

Tom,
Even if they're not your taste, it's probably worth buying up any Decca SXL, EMI ASD or early DG (tulip label) classical LPs you see in the shop if they're in good condition. Most of these find a buyer quite easily on e-bay and make £8 and upwards (particularly the early Deccas). Would help to finance your habit

David

John,
This is the old style DG 'Tulip' label here
It refers to the Tulip motif which forms part of the DGG logo and the entire ring around the label. Early DGG recordings, pressed in Germany with this label are believed to be superior to later pressings. The design later changed to a plain white black edged ring around the label rather than the Tulip design. I'm afraid I don't know in which year this change occured.

David

"Opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody's got one"

PS: there's more info on DG label history here in 'about us'

[This message was edited by David Stewart on SUNDAY 09 February 2003 at 13:57.]